Well Watta Ya Know....

It's amazing how things progress. In just 2 short months I went from having never even heard the words "Arnold Chiari Malformation” before, to seeing it discussed on one of the chat boards I'm involved in, to having a new blogging friend find out that her daughter has it (along with SB), to finding out just today that I have it myself!

I went for a routine neurology follow-up appointment with my new neurologist after having an EEG and MRI done. I want to get off of the anti-seizure meds I'm on because I've been seizure-free for about 6 years now. So my doctor tells me the findings of my MRI - I have ACM I.

He was actually pretty nonchalant about it and thought I probably even knew about it from my previous doctors and medical records, but I hadn't. Neither I, nor my parents, have ever been told I have it.

In my case, I have ACM I, which I guess is a less severe form than the level II. I'm still learning about it but, for me, it seems to mean that my cerebellum droops a bit over my spinal cord. I am not symptomatic (headaches, dizziness, double vision, and weakness), so there's nothing to be concerned about or really do about it now. If I ever do have symptoms, then I can discuss with my doctor different treatments, ranging from monitoring it, to therapy, to decompression surgery.

The seizure I had years back is unrelated, and nothing abnormal was found on my MRI or EEG in regards to that - so going off my meds was approved.

So, anyway, this all just goes to show that you learn something new everyday. Like I said, it's just kind of funny (peculiar, not ha-ha) how fast ACM has entered into my life - first in a very indirect way, until now, finding out it effects me very directly.